YOUNG PLATO DOCUMLENTARY FILM
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: This episode focuses on the award-winning documentary “Young Plato” that showcases Kevin McArevey, a Primary School headmaster in Belfast’s Ardoyne housing estates who invokes the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosophers to fight poverty, drug dealers and the IRA – restoring hope in the heart of a battered community. Featured guests are Kevin McArevey, and director Neasa Ní Chianáín created the film with Declan McGrath. Listen here in the YouTube player or download the podcast PodBean.
At Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland schoolyard conflicts are resolved at the Philosophy board where the youngsters learn to reason and think for themselves. School Principal Kevin McArevey, a Stoic who sings along to Elvis Presley, is rocking the status quo by teaching Philosophy to students in a community plagued by urban decay, sectarian violence, poverty, and drugs. In an atmosphere of deep caring and support, his students learn new ways to manage their emotions based on Ancient texts.
YOUNG PLATO deftly addresses the social division and intergenerational trauma of a city divided by Peace Walls where “the troubles” are more than a memory in a story filled with the mischievous charm of young boys learning to question the mythologies of war and violence. “Young Plato” shines a positive light on contemporary Northern Ireland, offering a model for building a culture of peace in these troubling times. More at www.YoungPlato.com
